Midnight Ponderings
by mellamaet
Summary: Silence blanketed the camp as the clock struck 12, everyone was safely tucked into their beds in their respective cabins, resting up for the next day. Everyone except Wisdom's daughter who lay in bed, thinking of a certain sea-eyed demigod.


__Hi there everyone! I'm Ella and this is my first fanfic for Percy Jackson, ever. I've been meaning to write something ever since I stumbled into Percy's world almost 4 years ago : I do apologize for the OOCness by the way since I'm not sure I portrayed Annabeth correctly ._. So yeah. I hope you enjoy though :

_Disclaimer: Rick Roirdan and Disney Hyperion owns Percy Jackson and anything else related to him _

* * *

_I've always thought that men were slime_

_And every guy I've met has proved me right_

_Until tonight_

Annabeth frowned tiredly as her eyes opened; revealing tired gray eyes as she stared at the full moon that can be seen from the window across the bed. Why couldn't she sleep?

She turned on her side, facing the far wall and the messy cabin, her eyes landing on the picture of Percy and her which was standing on the table beside the bed. Despite her weariness, she smiled at the memory that came with the photograph.

It had been taken a few months ago, just after they had returned from their quest against Gaea. They both looked tired – that much was obvious. Sleep deprived, stressed, and battle scarred. The two teenagers looked years older than what they were, and yet, they looked happier. In their customary orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and jeans, they looked liked they wouldn't have been anywhere else as they simply held the other's hand and smiled as the picture was taken.

_Just when I thought_

_I had it figured_

_That life's a game you cannot win..._

_He comes in and changes all the rules_

To Annabeth, it was funny how years ago; she would have to restrain herself from impaling a certain sound of Poseidon with an accurately thrown spear every time he said something, but now, she had his back – like he had hers. And anyone who even entertained the thought of impaling the other was as good as dead.

Everyone had seen it coming though, everyone except them, starting from the a-little-more-than-friendly glances that they gave the other across the dining hall, and the frequent sword fights, which led to quiet evenings by the beach.

It was obvious to everyone. Everyone except them.

But then again, they didn't seem to be the perfect pair. They didn't make sense. Annabeth was organized, and relied on strategy, and looked before she jumped. Percy meanwhile was full steam ahead, crashing through any obstacle that came his way instead of planning on how to work around it. They were as opposite as sun and rain, black and white, yin and yang.

They simply didn't make sense.

But then again, love wasn't supposed to make sense.

With that thought, the blonde girl snorted derisively. She was starting to sound like a daughter of Aphrodite.

_What I've been taught._

_I learned the hard way_

_That life and love are never just_

_And if you trust you're just one of the fools_

The day she ran away, she had never thought she would find herself as happy as she was now. For years, her life had been about running away, trying to protect herself and her friends. And when they were behind the protection of Camp Half-Blood's walls and Thalia's pine tree, her days blended together in a solid routine of training and refining her skills as the daughter of Athena.

She would never admit it to anyone – and would probably deny it if ever anyone did find out. But the day Percy came was the day that her days had stopped seeming so monotonous. Her days were suddenly filled with his shenanigans and laughter, and friendship and trust – even if he managed to annoy her most of the time.

_And now I can't believe my heart_

_It's saying don't resist him._

_That I've been on my guard too long_

Obviously, she was the smarter one in the couple – but not even her Athena-bestowed smarts could pinpoint exactly when they had crossed the line between friends and something more. To her, they have always been toeing the line. But that didn't stop her from fighting with herself when she was sure of her feelings.

Although, for a while, it didn't really matter since their godly parents hated one another, and no doubt, this would cause friction. And they really didn't need another war where they had to choose sides. And for a while, she tried to shrug it off – every morning she would convince herself that they were best friends - just best friends, although her actions said otherwise.

But that certainly didn't last long.

_I can't believe my heart_

_Surrendered when I kissed him._

_And told me all I thought I knew,_

_As sad but true, is wrong._

It was probably at Mount St. Helens that sent the last of her walls crumbling down. The minute her lips touched his, she knew she was a goner, she knew that her seaweed brain had better come back or else she really didn't know how she was going deal.

And of course, he didn't disappoint.

Not only did he come back after weeks of disappearing into thin air, but he came back just in time to ruin his own funeral. But of course, she didn't care. Not really, not when she found herself rushing towards him in relief, just glad to find him alive.

_If life is worth_

_The disappointment_

_I hadn't seen one reason yet_

_Until I met the boy who smiles for free_

Annabeth shook her head slightly as she tried to rid of the images of the past – no matter how happy they were. Obviously, they were not helping her get the amount of sleep that she needed, all the reminiscing was doing was making her wistful from the memories.

The blonde then rolled on her back and stared at the dark ceiling. Sleeping was something that was easy – after all, she had been so tired that day and she felt like the minute she made contact with the bed, she would have fell asleep instantly. But no, it seemed to be posing a great challenge. And in that moment, she envied anyone who was deeply slumbering in their beds at the mom ent.

With a groan, the girl sat up and leaned back against the hard headboard, her gray eyes once again found a picture of Percy and her on the dresser against the far wall and noted that it had been taken just a few days ago.

She smiled as she leaned back against the headboard and sighed as she felt herself slipping into the memory.

They were sitting around the campfire, a few months since their return from their last – and most dangerous – quest so far. Half of the camp was feeling festive from emerging victorious from their latest game of capture the flag.

She had sidled up next to him as he sat on a log, his sea green eyes reflecting the crackling flames. She had begun teasing him, about their team's loss which was the start of another one of their friendly spats.

But then, he turned towards her and smiled, showing that whatever he had said, he didn't really mean it and he was happy for her victory. But, Annabeth found that she didn't care for it much, but instead discovered that she was instantly drawn to his smile, how younger and more carefree it had made him look, how his eyes crinkled in happiness along with his smile, and how the color of his eyes seem to lighten to the shade of the sea as the sun's light bounced against it.

And she realized that another thing to add to the list of the things she loved about him was his smile.

She had been so mesmerized with his smile, that she almost didn't see the camera flash go off followed by certain cuss words from the Stoll Brothers. But then again, she wouldn't be Annabeth Chase if she didn't notice and made sure that it never happens again.

_Upon this Earth_

_There's no one like him_

_He sees the girl I long to be_

_Making even me believe in me_

He was just incredible.

Sure, most of the time he was incredibly dense. But really, she wouldn't have it any other way. At the risk of sounding like a daughter of Aphrodite, she could never imagine being with anyone other than Percy. No matter how dim he seems to be at times, or how many boys were stupid enough to approach her during their trips to the beach.

She would never trade Percy for anything.

She couldn't see how she would ever need anything else.

_And now I can't believe my heart_

_Has overcome my senses_

_To help me see that he's the prize_

Despite how much time she spends ridiculing Percy, at the end of the day, when she finds herself in situations much like her current problem, she asks the Gods what she ever did to deserve Percy; lovable seaweed brain, the hero of Olympus and the Camp Half-Blood's resident klutz.

Because as much as she loved him – Yes loved, as incredible as that sounds – she thinks that she is in no way deserving of someone as good as he was. He wasn't cynical and chooses to think the worst of people. He was an optimist and the perpetual source of hope for the camp despite the hardships that the Gods never seem to tire sending his way.

And it was unbelievable that he was hers.

Maybe it made her selfish, for choosing to keep Percy to herself rather than share him with the world. But if it's something that Annabeth deserved, it was a chance to be selfish sometimes.

_I can't believe my heart_

_Says tear down all your fences_

_That everything you want and more_

_Is right before your eyes_

_I can't believe my heart..._

_Could be so..._

_Wise._

Annabeth moved her head around as she rubbed the back of her neck tiredly. Obviously, leaning against the headboard had been one of her less brilliant ideas, it had given her a really bad kink in the neck and shoulders – but she had been through worse, she would live through it.

The blonde released a yawn as she moved down the bed again, making sure to turn around to face the other person on it.

With her eyes, she traced the contours of his battle scarred face, and yet to her, he had never appeared more peaceful as he laid there in front of her, his chest softly rising and falling in sleep. Her hand then automatically reached out to touch his cheek as his eyes slowly fluttered open at her touch.

"Hi." He muttered, his eyes still half-closed as he gave her a sleepy smile "Why aren't you asleep?"

Annabeth returned the lazy smile as she leaned into him, causing Percy to automatically wrap his arms around her slim waist "Couldn't sleep." She whispered into his shirt "My brain won't stop thinking."

"You should get some sleep." Percy replied, his eyes– now the color of the calm sea – fully open as he looked at her "You're going to need to get up early tomorrow before Chiron catches you in here again." He added with a grin, recalling the last time that Chiron had walked in with Annabeth and him still under the covers and the ferocious scolding – that they both ignored – that followed.

"I probably should." The blonde replied with a yawn as she snugged deeper into Percy's warm, letting the scent of the ocean that constantly surrounds him lull her senses.

"I love you." The boy beside her whispered

At his words, she stiffened in surprise as she looked up at him, a small smile weaving its way into her face "I love you too, seaweed brain." With that, they both fell into a restful slumber with smiles gracing their features, as they lay in bed tangled in Percy's blue sheets and each other.

* * *

Let me know what you think!


End file.
